Never before has clothing been so cheap or so abundant. In many countries, it is now possible to buy a fashionable shirt for less than the price of a sandwich, and to replace an entire wardrobe several times a year without a second thought. This phenomenon, known as “fast fashion”, has transformed the way millions of people dress. But behind the low prices lies a hidden cost that is rarely printed on the label.

Fast fashion works by producing enormous quantities of inexpensive clothing very quickly, in order to keep up with the latest trends. New styles appear in shops almost weekly, encouraging customers to buy constantly and to discard garments after only a few wears. The result is staggering: it is estimated that the equivalent of a rubbish truck full of textiles is burned or sent to landfill every second. Producing all these clothes also consumes vast amounts of water and energy and generates a significant proportion of the world’s carbon emissions.

There is a human cost as well. Much fast fashion is manufactured in countries where labour is cheap, and workers, many of them women, are sometimes paid very low wages to work long hours in poor conditions. While some companies have made genuine efforts to improve, campaigners argue that the industry as a whole still has a long way to go.

What, then, can be done? Some people call for stricter regulation, forcing companies to reveal how and where their clothes are made. Others place their faith in the consumer, arguing that if enough people demand ethically produced clothing, businesses will have no choice but to change. A growing movement encourages people simply to buy less: to choose quality over quantity, repair what they own, and embrace second-hand clothing. None of these solutions is complete on its own. But together they point towards a future in which the true cost of our clothes is no longer hidden, but honestly acknowledged and fairly shared.